HISTORY OF THE ROZALBA HOUSE
To answer this question, we must go back twenty years ago. In 1995, a group of young people from Gjader, a small village in the district of Lezha, in the area of Zadrima, met to discuss together the various social issues of that time. It was a dramatic period.
The death of the dictator Enver Hoxha in 1985 had left the Albanian society in despair and complete chaos. The high unemployment rate, the collapse of the health and social system and, above all, the extreme poverty, had brought about the fragility of the previously imposed system. With the end of the authoritarian regime, the horrific phenomenon of human trafficking had also begun to spread, threatening the safety of the Albanian women. The desire to get out of this critical economic, social and political situation, to leave the country for a better life, caused a series of effects and consequences. It is in this context that human trafficking appears to be a “favorable” practice for the exploitation of young girls and women. Thus, many Zadrima girls mysteriously disappeared and only later it was found out that they had been abducted, because they were fascinated by the promise of an engagement or a job, but in reality it was a tragic deception: selling and exploiting them abroad. When seduced young girls refused to prostitute, they were raped and eventually killed.
In this context, the Rozalba House was founded in 2015 and literally means “the house of the rose’s dawn”, a place where ‘rebirth’ can be witnessed. The Rozalba House, in fact, represents a safe place where girls coming from the most desperate and dysfunctional family contexts can feel protected and respected even through psycho-social recovery. They are helped to reintegrate into the community. In fact, the Rozalba house currently welcomes underage girls who have experienced scenarios of violence, abuse, and extreme poverty to the point of being forced to pursue the path of prostitution.
The Rozalba House accommodates even women detached from family contexts, victims of abuse and violence, and even threatened to be killed. For this reason, Rozalba House has signed an agreement with the Municipality of Lezha. The center is officially recognized as a structure that temporarily accommodates cases of violence or human trafficking for 72 hours.
Age of girls accommodated in the center
Currently, the Rozalba house accommodates 18 girls from 2 to 18 years old.
Goals to be achieved
The main objective is to ensure continuity of the provided services to the accommodated girls. However, this goal is almost ambitious, as the center does not get any support from the Albanian state. For this reason, our center continues to “survive”, thanks to different donations that do not guarantee or ensure its sustainability, though.
– Protection services and the legal aspect through accommodation, on behalf of the authorities, whether it is for a long time as in the case of girls, or urgent for women and children taken from contexts of violence and ill-treatment. In this case the costs cover: the cost of accommodation and transportation to different sessions since the Venerini sisters are the legal guardian of girls.
– Socio-educational services through the payment of tuition fees, school materials, transportation to educational institutions and the permanent presence of 3 educators in the Rozalba home.
– Integrated laboratories thanks to the financing of specific professional courses of interest for young people.
– Awareness and animation activities in Albania and Italy, including exchanges with Italian families twinned with the Pie Venerini Sisters Congregation.
– Services provided by the center concerning food and essential services, the presence of a cook, a caretaker and a housekeeper.